Japan · Certification
ISO 22000 certification in Japan
Achieve ISO 22000 certification in Japan with Sterling: 8,100+ client engagements in 60+ countries, 20+ years.
- Accredited certification
- Tokyo office team
- Effivity software included
- Academy training included
Who asks for ISO 22000 in Japan
Clients include
ISO 22000 certification in Japan at a glance
In Japan, ISO 22000 is asked for by buyers and schemes rather than required by law. The drivers below show where the pressure comes from.
Food exporters and contract manufacturers in Japan already run HACCP-based hygiene control, because the Food Sanitation Act has required it, in principle, of every food business operator since 1 June 2021. ISO 22000 takes that foundation and adds what the legal duty does not ask for: a management system with food safety policy and objectives, interactive communication along the food chain, management review and continual improvement. For many businesses it is the step between regulatory compliance and a GFSI-recognised scheme such as FSSC 22000, and it is recognised by overseas customers who do not know the Japanese hygiene control rules. Certification is granted by an accredited certification body, for example one accredited by the Japan Accreditation Board, after stage 1 and stage 2 audits of prerequisite programmes, the hazard analysis and verification records. Sterling's Tokyo office builds the system around the existing HACCP plans, with Effivity and Sterling Academy included.
Who needs ISO 22000 in Japan, and what happens without it
In Japan the question rarely comes from a law. It comes from the buyer, the regulator or the partner that wants proof before it signs. These are the organisations that get asked.
- Food manufacturers and processorsHACCP-based hygiene control is already a legal duty; ISO 22000 adds the management system.
- Food exportersOverseas customers recognise ISO 22000 as an international food safety management standard.
- Food packaging, logistics and ingredient suppliersCustomers extend food safety requirements along the chain.
Not sure which of these applies to you?Answer a short set of questions and your readiness report arrives by e-mail.
Take the ISO 22000 readiness checkISO 22000 requirements in Japan
Strip away the vocabulary and ISO 22000 requires a company to prove six things about keeping food safe from supplier to customer.
In Japan these six sit alongside the local laws and regulations listed under drivers below; one system can evidence both. The detail is on the global hub: ISO 22000 explained →
How to get ISO 22000 certified in Japan
One team from the Tokyo office carries the work from scoping to certificate. Nationwide from the Tokyo office, on-site where the scope requires; remote delivery for distributed teams.
- Discovery call and scopeEntities, locations, regulators and target date, agreed before any proposal.
- Gap assessment against ISO 22000 and the Japanese requirements that apply to youControls you already run for your regulators and customers are reused, not rebuilt.
- Your system built with your team in EffivityRisks, controls, evidence, incidents and reviews in one live system the auditor can see.
- Internal audit, management review and corrective actionsYour internal auditors trained by Sterling; the evidence proven before the certification body arrives.
- Certification body stage 1 and stage 2, then surveillanceAn accredited body audits and decides. Sterling supports the audits and the three-year cycle.
- End to end, from one team
- Effivity ISO & GRC software
- Preferential Sterling Academy access, with complimentary awareness training for your people
- Internal auditor training for your audit team, as applicable to your standard
- Vulnerability assessment on ISMS engagements
The Sterling Promise: 100% on-time completion, 100% success, 8,100+ client engagements.Sterling does not certify. Certification decisions stay with independent bodies.
How long does ISO 22000 certification take in Japan?
There is no standard duration: it depends on your scope and on how much of the system already runs. In Japan these are the factors that set the timeline.
- Number of products, lines and sites
- Existing HACCP plans prepared for the Food Sanitation Act
- Prerequisite programme and verification evidence before stage 2
Sterling agrees a dated plan with you on the discovery call, once the scope is known.
How much does ISO 22000 certification cost in Japan?
The cost has two parts: the consulting work to build and prove the system, and the certification body’s audit fees, which are quoted separately. In Japan these factors move both.
- Number of sites and product categories
- Certification body audit fees quoted separately from consulting
- Facility upgrades for prerequisite programmes
Sterling gives one customised, all-inclusive proposal after the discovery call, never before the scope is agreed.
ISO 22000 consultants and certification bodies in Japan
Two different organisations are involved. A consultant helps you build the system and prove it works; an accredited certification body then audits or assesses it and decides. Keeping the two separate is what makes the result credible to buyers and regulators.
- Check that the body’s accreditation or approval covers ISO 22000 and your sector, and that its certificates can be verified online.
- Ask the consultant how the local requirements in Japan are mapped into the same system, so nothing runs twice.
- Ask for client references in your sector; Sterling’s client letters are available on request.
- Agree who owns the evidence and the tool after the engagement; with Sterling the system stays yours, in Effivity.
Laws and regulations that drive ISO 22000 in Japan (2)
| Instrument | How it treats the standard |
|---|---|
| Food Sanitation Act — HACCP-based hygiene control (MHLW) | Related From 1 June 2021, in principle all food business operators implement hygiene control in line with HACCP; ISO 22000 not named. |
| Japan Accreditation Board (JAB) — accreditation of management-system certification bodies | Market driver Accredited certification for management-system standards is available through a Japanese accreditation body; no mandate. |
Accreditation, audit language and remote audits in Japan
Use a certification body accredited for this standard by JAB or by another accreditation body within the international mutual recognition arrangements (Global ACI — Global Accreditation Cooperation Incorporated, formerly the IAF MLA); check that the accreditation scope covers the standard and your sector. No body is named here unless its accreditation scope in Japan has been verified. Edition and transition details: ISO 22000 hub →
Audit language
Japanese or English; agree the audit and document language with the certification body at application (JIS Q editions of the standard are available in Japanese).
Remote and on-site
Remote audit elements are at the certification body's discretion under its accreditation rules; operational sites are normally visited on-site.
ISO 22000 in Japan: questions clients ask
Is ISO 22000 required by Japanese law?
No. Japanese law requires HACCP-based hygiene control, not ISO 22000, under the Food Sanitation Act. ISO 22000 is a voluntary management system standard that some exporters and customers prefer. Treat it as a commercial decision about your market, and keep your legally required hygiene control in place whatever you decide.
ISO 22000 or FSSC 22000?
They differ in what they add. FSSC 22000 layers sector prerequisite programmes and scheme requirements onto ISO 22000 and is GFSI-recognised, whereas ISO 22000 alone gives accredited certification to the standard. If your buyers require a GFSI-recognised scheme, choose FSSC 22000; otherwise ISO 22000 may be enough.
Who issues ISO 22000 certificates in Japan?
Certification bodies accredited for ISO 22000, whether by JAB or by another accreditation body within the international mutual recognition arrangements. Ask each candidate for its accreditation scope and confirm that your food sector is inside it. Preparing the system and issuing the certificate are separate roles, and only the accredited body does the latter.
More on ISO 22000 for Japanese organisations
- ISO 22000: the complete guide
- Watch: How to implement ISO 22000
- Catering and hotels: ISO 22000 for the sector
- Feed and animal food: ISO 22000 for the sector
- Food and beverage manufacturing: ISO 22000 for the sector
- Food packaging manufacturing: ISO 22000 for the sector
- Ingredients and supplements: ISO 22000 for the sector
- Retail and wholesale: ISO 22000 for the sector
- Transport, storage and distribution: ISO 22000 for the sector
- Sterling in Tokyo
- ISO 22000 certification in Japan and every other standard Sterling delivers there
Other standards Japanese businesses ask Sterling for
Organisations in Japan often combine ISO 22000 with one of these, under one management system where the scopes allow.
Start with a free discovery call from the Tokyo office
A Sterling consultant goes through your entities, your regulators and your target date with you. No proposal until the scope is agreed.
Sources
- Food Sanitation Act — HACCP-based hygiene control (MHLW) — mhlw.go.jp (accessed 5 Oct 2026)
- Japan Accreditation Board (JAB) — accreditation of management-system certification bodies — nite.go.jp (accessed 5 Oct 2026)
- Japan Accreditation Board (JAB) — nite.go.jp; ilac.org (accessed 5 Oct 2026)
- Management Matters Review (経営事項審査) for public works contractors — ktr.mlit.go.jp (accessed 5 Oct 2026)
- ISMAP (Information system Security Management and Assessment Program) — ismap.go.jp (accessed 5 Oct 2026)
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